OK, so last week, I talked about having  your stepkids medical records and emergency information available, or at least on hand so that if something happened, you knew who to contact, and what to do.  Another important paper/document that stepfamilies may not be aware of is that for some non-custodial parent they may need to have written permission to take their children out of the country or even out of the state.  This is dependent on the state in which you reside and where the divorce was filed. 
My recommendation is to seek legal advice in the county/state/country in which you live.  When my son and I moved with my husband and his two daughters from Canada to the USA, we were required to have notarized documents showing us that we had legal rights to travel and move with our children.  This is a protection not only for the parents but for the children as well. It is not a common occurance to have people prove they are permitted to travel with their stepchildren, but if asked, can quickly ruin a vacation or trip. It is noted that in divorces where there is bitter fighting between the parents, this is viewed as a precautionary step.  If you have a story and comment to share, I would love to hear about it.  Safe travels.

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